Footy star leaves no dry eye in the house at the Brownlow Medal as he opens up on ‘deep void’ after shock retirement

Angus Brayshaw brought the house down at the Brownlow Medal on Monday night as the newly-retired Melbourne hero opened up on how he’s adapted to life out of the game.

The 28-year-old was forced to retire before the start of the 2024 season after suffering a string of concussions throughout his career.

In Melbourne, Brayshaw gave an ode to the retiring class of 2024 at the game’s most prestigious awards night, with the likes of Dustin Martin and Tom Hawkins bidding farewell to the sport after illustrious playing careers.

There are also players who, like Brayshaw, have had to walk away for medical reasons, including Nathan Murphy, Josh Carmichael and Aiden O’Driscoll.   

‘I am a retired AFL footballer and am here tonight on behalf of the retiring class of 2024,’ Brayshaw said.

‘It’s been about 8 months since I was medically retired and just over a year since I played my last game. I’m not going to lie, the absence of football has left a very deep void.

‘Days that were planned to the minute and filled with purpose need to be replaced and in time they will be.

‘Football is all consuming, no matter how long your career was. No matter how well you prepare, the transition is difficult and there seems no easy way around it.’

Brayshaw also gave a cheeky swipe at Martin, whose future remains uncertain despite his retirement last month.  

‘Whether you’re Dustin Martin – who I checked before I came up here, and he’s still officially retired – he’s won every single award that’s available to win as a player,’ Brayshaw said.

‘Or whether you’re a kid like Aiden O’Dirscoll, who was a young man who had dreams of doing what Dusty did – but unfortunately he was medically retired from concussion in his first pre-season. We, the retiring class of 2024, should be incredibly proud.

‘I hope that we’ve brought pride and joy to our families, our friends, our loved ones, our teammates, our clubs and also to many fans.

‘We all achieved our dreams to varying degrees, which is a privilege that we should never lose sight of. Equally as important, is casting an eye to the future – and the truth, surprisingly, is that there is a life after football, which is a relief.

‘Tom Hawkins played 359 games. He arrived as a kid, and leaves the game with several of his own. And although his career may seem like a lifetime, he, like the rest of us, will soon find out that there is so much more to see and to do.

‘Our playing careers have ended and there are feelings of sadness, grief, uncertainty, anger and anxiety, no doubt.

‘But as the playing door closes on us, so many others stand ready for us, as we transition from this rigid and structured existence into the great unknown.

‘I sincerely hope that everyone in the retiring class of 2024 finds something that provides them with the passion and the purpose that I derive from playing AFL.’